Intellectually disabled residents, their families welcome to forums hosted by state

Jan. 23, 2014

York Gerlock wakes each morning and scours the Tennessean and USA Today sports sections so he is up on the world of sports before he starts his day, which includes working half a day at Goodwill. Gerlock's mother, Elizabeth Gerlock, cares for her 55-year-old intellectually disabled son. / Larry McCormack / The Tennessean

BROKEN TRUST: PART OF A CONTINUING SERIES

The Department of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities and TennCare will host a series of community forums for people with intellectual disabilities and their families across Tennessee in the coming weeks.

The DIDD Stakeholder Forums are open to people who currently receive services as well as those on a waiting list. The agency, which has experienced significant budget cuts in recent years, has been unable to provide services to thousands of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and has come under criticism for the quality of care in facilities overseen by the department.

More than 7,100 state residents with intellectual disabilities, defined as an IQ of 70 or less, are waiting for long-term care services run by DIDD through funding from the TennCare program.